A top class art gallery in the middle of nowhere - what's not to like?! Hauser & Wirth is a…read moreleading gallery for contemporary and modern art with well established outlets in Zurich, London, New York and LA. I love the fact that they took over an old farm in Somerset and turned it into an oasis of calm and beauty. The current exhibition by Pipilotti Rist (till Feb 2015) alone is worth the trip. One of her video and sound installations is presented in a big room where visitors are asked to take off their shoes and settle on one of the fluffy sheep skins dotted around the floor - the most comfortable exhibition I have ever visited! There's also a lovely shop with local artisan products and a restaurant/bar - enough to keep you busy for most of the day.

This is a bright, colourful and inspiring shop. We bought all the supplies here for crafting our…read morewedding invitations and thank you cards. Basically, you pick up a box, and then fill it with card or paper of your choice from a huge selection from the shelves along the wall. There are also crafting supplies - stickers, ribbon and equipment. Plus examples of what you can make with particular items. It's a dream of a shop, and easy to spend money in. Good job they have a loyalty scheme, where you can collect points and redeem them once you reach a certain amount, for money off your next purchase.

This is a handy little store carrying goods for a divers range of arts and crafts, the depth of the…read morerange could be better but they're able to get anything you need and their prices are very competitive.

This wooden craft shop is situated on the main road through Abbotsbury and has its own car park…read more Although I have described it as a wooden craft shop it is and it isn't. Pretty much everything it sells has been made out of wood, some of it could be called craft but some could be called art, furniture or toy. They sell everything from thimbles to four poster beds, everything is beautifully made and the toy section will keep children entertained while adults marvel over the beautifully crafted clocks.

Montacute House is a 16th century mansion in Somerset there is a very large collection of portraits…read morefrom the National Portrait Gallery collection on display in the house. There is also large collections of furniture and tapestries. The grounds are beautiful with a large formal garden to wabder around and after that it is time for afternoon tea and cake! The cafe is up to the usual NT high standards. there is a free car park on site.

If portraiture is your thing then a visit to Montacute is a must! This Elizabethan house…read moreincorporates a collection from the National Portrait Gallery from the Tudor and Elizabethan period. There is also an amazing collection of tapestries, funature and textiles (including samplers) from the period. There are formal gardens and longer signposted routes around the grounds. It's worth climbing the hill to see the site of the old Norman Castle which now sites an 18th Century look-out. The licenced restaurant is very good and represents incredible value. For those who prefer picnics there is a special area. Owned by the National Trust you could couple this with a visit to Lytes Cary or Barrington House.

Clocks watches and pieces of jewelry…read more Some really delightful and classic items in here. And the prices seem fair. I would certainly give this a snoop again if I were looking for a special gift or investment. A very good quality shop.

This shop is stacked full of gifts for the discerning shopper. There's a good range of…read moreold-fashioned style children's toys, including a dolls house and dolls house furniture. The gift toiletries are beautifully packaged, including Isle of Arran's After the Rain range, which I absolutely love. There's Emma Bridgwater crockery (the chunkiness of which I absolutely adore, and which indicates that I am in the type of shop I like, although I've never found an exact design that I would want to buy). There are suitable gifts for the 'older' and sometimes more difficult generation. The shelf of handkerchiefs was prettily arranged; do people still buy these? Birthday and occasion cards are high quality and classy designs, including 3-D cards. The staff smiled and said thank you as we left the shop, which is something to remark upon in this day and age

This is a gorgeous art gallery/shop in Beer, on the Devon coast…read more Beer is a lovely little fishing village, relatively untouched by mass tourism (it's too difficult to access for big bus loads). The pebble beach is idyllic, and you can watch fishing boats coming back with their catch - which they also sell there and then. Back to the gallery: they have 2 outlets in the village, the Steam Gallery and the Marine House. Both display work from local artists, and the quality is very high (so are some prices). We found the most exquisite hand blown glass pieces, which would not be out of place in the most expensive shops in London. Beer itself is worth a visit for its quaint, quiet and authentic atmosphere; and whilst you are there, these two artshops should be on your list.

The Steam Gallery in the pretty East Devon fishing village of Beer is a good place to browse for…read moregifts or that special treat for yourself. The gallery is housed in several rooms on the ground floor of what was once a house. It is the sister gallery to Marine House, which is situated further down the road towards the sea. The Steam Gallery has less traditional paintings than Marine House, although there is plenty on the walls often the emphasis is on sculpture and 3 dimensional work. Last time I visited there was a lot of glass sculpture on display, and there is usually jewellery and pottery too. Original artwork by local artists.